


I Need You to Stay

by chthonicAtaraxy



Category: Cow Chop (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Angst, Coming Out, Disclaimer: I don't know shit about immigration laws except that green cards can expire, If you're wondering why this reads like a romcom it's because it is one, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Oh shit I should put legit tags, Slow Burn, because I've lost all control over my life, in that angst chapter, inspired by The Proposal, marraige visas exist, mild angst at least. like one chapter that's angsty., that's really it don't use me as a source of legit legal information you'll fail the bar exam, this basically happened because I watched The Proposal three times in the past three days, work visas exist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-08-17 06:12:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8133301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chthonicAtaraxy/pseuds/chthonicAtaraxy
Summary: A legal technicality almost gets this Russian deported. What happens next will warm your heart.





	1. Just Pretend

**Author's Note:**

> "But..." James trailed off, gaze shifting to Aleks who looked totally fucking terrified. "But we're engaged."
> 
> "You're engaged?" The man asked. Aleks was looking at James with wide eyes, but the look James gave him told him to play it fucking cool.
> 
> "We're engaged." James repeated.

Aleks awoke to the cold, wet nose of his dog nudging against his face. He'd almost managed to sleep until noon before Mishka got too hungry to wait any longer for breakfast. And in half an hour, Aleks was supposed to be at the Cow House for filming. 

He dragged himself out of bed, still half asleep as he got ready to go. James was already texting him with plans for today's round of videos. The line up started with Dark Souls, a dying series that required more effort than it was worth. But James loved to talk about the "lore," and the few fans actually invested in it wanted to see them finish. 

Mishka was excited to go out and see her buddy Ein. Aleks was running late, so he walked out with a can of Surge in one hand and his mail in the other. He'd go through it later; there was always downtime between videos for him to be a functional adult and go through his bills and shit. 

When he entered the house, he was greeted with a shout from the couch "Aleksandr, you're late!" James was already in costume, and the cameras looked just about set up. Aleks just shrugged and went to get changed into the dumb shit they always wore for these videos. He dropped his mail and half empty energy drink onto the kitchen table while the dogs chased each other around the kitchen. Fucking adorable. 

"Right. Let's do this." He said as he flopped onto the couch beside James. With Trevor and Aron behind the cameras, James and Aleks passed the controller back and forth to take turns getting pummeled by another crazy hard boss. They eventually took it out, no thanks to that guide book James had wasted his money on. After they finished filming, Trevor and Aron went to the office upstairs to upload the footage to their computers before they started the next video. 

Aleks and James had ditched the wigs, but were still in the rest of their ridiculous get ups. James nudged Aleks "Ready for another round of Go?" 

"Do people still play that?" It had been weeks since their last video. 

"No. But we're gonna catch 'em all." James said with a stupid grin. 

"Dude, we looked stupid enough playing that when it was popular." Aleks protested, haunted by the hardcore cringe factor of their prior episodes. 

"We look stupid in every fucking video we make." James replied. "Since when are you worried about looking stupid?" 

"Whatever." Aleks shrugged, walking to the kitchen to grab some food. James followed, opting for one of Trevor's Dr. Peppers. The dogs had chilled out by then, contently laying around with some chew toys. In the time they'd spend waiting for Trevor and Aron to finish dealing with the footage, Aleks decided to finally check out the mail from this morning. Nothing was particularly interesting until, "The USCIS," he read aloud before opening the letter. 

"What?" James asked. 

"United States Citizenship and Immigration Services." He looked at James while he tore it open. But whatever, he didn't have shit to worry about right? Green cards are totally legal. Maybe he had some fee to pay or something? 

"You getting deported?" James joked, then took a sip of the soda. 

"No. Shut up, they're probably just asking when I'm gonna become a citizen." He pretended his hands weren't shaking as he unfolded the letter. James pretended he didn't notice. 

He skimmed the letter in silence for a few moments. "Well?" James asked. 

He glanced up at James, then went back to the letter. "Fuck man." He muttered. 

"Yo are you fucking getting deported or not?" He was only half joking that time. 

"Right so," he started, but trailed off as he continued to read. 

"Dude!" 

"Fuck. Right dude look," he passed over the letter. "Apparently my visa requires I have a real job if I'm gonna stay here and YouTube doesn't count." 

"The fuck you mean YouTube doesn't count? We make more in one month off this than those assholes make all year probably." His eyes immediately landed on the last line of the letter, which read "YOU HAVE 30 DAYS TO FILE A COMPLAINT IN PERSON BEFORE YOUR DEPORTATION. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN FORCEFUL EJECTION FROM THE UNITED STATES." 

"Well shit." James muttered. "What can you do?" 

"I don't know man." Aleks had his face in his hands. As if Mishka could sense her owner's distress, she trotted over and sat beside him. "Maybe I could convince them I'm working a legit job?" 

"I'll go with you. I can vouch for you or something." 

"You don't have to-" 

James cut him off. "No dude I'm going with you, and we're going right now." 

"What about Go?" 

"Fuck Go man. Go is dead." 

"You just said we were gonna catch-" 

"Go is fucking gone. Get over it. Wherever we gotta go to sort this out, we may need all 30 days." He was already reaching for his car keys. 

"You're serious?" 

"Yeah. Of course I'm serious, why the fuck wouldn't I be?" 

"Cuz you're never serious about anything. This probably isn't a big deal." 

"I'm not letting you get deported dude! Who else could I fuck with for views?" 

James gave a quick rundown of the situation to the others. They got back into normal clothes, and Trevor agreed to watch their dogs while they were out. He was sure it was some kind of misunderstanding, but wished them luck anyway. It was a short, mostly quiet ride to the Denver USCIS building. But the wait for a meeting was almost an hour. 

They had claimed a bench in the crowded waiting room, sitting until their number was called. James insisted he go in there with Aleks, to vouch that he was in fact a working man. A work visa was all he needed. 

Aleks was pretty fucking nervous. 30 days wasn't very long. James nudged him and told him to relax, that he wasn't gonna let his bro get kicked out of the country. But he was still freaking out until they finally got called into a tiny cluttered office. 

They sat in two chairs opposite the desk from a small man with a big stack of papers. They were given a bit more of an explanation of exactly the technicality that was fucking the Russian over. 

Self employment doesn't count for a work visa, so his own channel is off the table. The Creatures had earned him a visa until he and James left. Even though James owned Cow Chop and technically employed Aleks, the line between hobby and job was drawn by the verification check mark. The Creatures were verified, Cow Chop wasn't. At this point it was too late for him to renew his green card the legit way. That could take about two months, which he didn't have. 

"Have you considered becoming a legitimate United States citizen?" The immigration agent asked. 

"Do I have time to do that?" He asked, grateful to hear a suggestion that could offer a glimmer of hope. 

"No." The agent responded coldly. Aleks would probably be crying if James weren't right beside him. Not that he found comfort in his presence; he just knew James would make fun of him for being a little bitch. But he was being a little bitch on the inside, mind racing as he thought of his bleak future. He'd be torn away from all his friends. James would replace him on the cow couch. Maybe they'd game together online sometimes. It wouldn't be the same. And he hasn't lived in Russia since he was a kid. He didn't know anybody over there. Basically he was fucking screwed. 

While Aleks had his internal freak out, James had an external one. "If he can't fucking do it why would you ask that you piece of shit?" 

"I was just wondering why he would let his green card expire, then leave the job that provided his work visa without any plans of gaining full citizenship." 

"Come on you got him on a fucking bullshit technicality. We could end up verified tomorrow!" James was even more pissed off than usual. 

"For his sake, you better hope you do." He said dismissively. "Now if you'll please find the door, I've other cases to address." That motherfucker was already going through his papers like he was too busy to be bothered. 

"But..." James trailed off, gaze shifting to Aleks who looked totally fucking terrified. "But we're engaged." 

"You're engaged?" The man asked. Aleks was looking at James with wide eyes, but the look James gave him told him to play it fucking cool. 

"We're engaged." James repeated, with more confidence this time. "We've been engaged since before we left the Creatures. We just haven't come out yet." 

"Sir, are you familiar with the consequences of faking an engagement for a marriage visa?" That seemed to be his way of saying he didn't buy it. 

"Nope." James responded. "I'm guessing it involves jail?" 

"Around a five year sentence." He glanced between the two. "Does that change your engagement status?" 

"No." He didn't even hesitate. 

"Aleksandr. Is it true that you're engaged?" 

"Yeah." Was all he said. He couldn't believe James was so eager to lie for him like this. 

"Could any friends or family vouch for you?" 

"Like he said, we're not out." 

"Well, you're going to have to prove to me that you're engaged." 

James didn't miss a beat in grabbing Aleks by the face and pulling him into a kiss. It took Aleks a few moments to wrap his mind around what was happening and kiss back. Neither pulled away until the agent interjected "Um, that's not how this process works." 

Only then did James let Aleks go. "Then what's the deal?" James asked while Aleks sat silently, awestruck at what had just occurred. 

"The deal is a series of interviews. Each of you will be questioned individually, as well as your friends and families." 

"But we're not fucking out to them." 

"Then I suggest you hurry up and go public." James opened his mouth to speak again but was cut off. "Now please, escort your partner out of my office. I'm very busy. These interviews will be scheduled in the next few days, we'll send him the details." Aleks was still quiet, and he could feel the blush on his cheeks. But James headed for the door and Aleks followed. Neither spoke until they reached the car. 

He wanted to say something. Whether it be "Thanks," or "Holy shit," anything was better than awkward silence. But he couldn't get the words past his lips while the feeling of the kiss still lingered there. 

"You okay?" James asked. "Sorry for grabbing you there but we've gotta make a case dude. Otherwise you're fucking out of here and I'm in prison." He nervously laughed at the unfunny situation while he pulled out of the parking lot. 

"You didn't have to do that." Aleks finally managed to speak. 

"What, like I'm just gonna let some bullshit technicality get you sent to fucking Russia?"

"Yeah but now you're committing fraud or some shit. You're risking your ass!" 

"To save yours." He shrugged. "Besides. What's Cow Chop gonna be without you?" He said, pulling out of the parking lot. "I don't care what I gotta do." His tone had suddenly changed. Like he slipped and accidentally let how much he cared reveal itself in the sincerity of his voice. "I need you to stay dude." The "Dude" was thrown in at the end to sound less fucking gay, but that was sorta hard considering the passionate kiss James had hit him with a minute earlier. He merged into the highway, heading back to Littleton. 

Aleks gazed out the window, involuntarily touching his lips as if he could still feel James there. He knew it was just a heat of the moment lie, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. How fucking quickly that had gone down, the way James just pulled him in and met his lips without a second of hesitation. The soft warmth of the kiss that compelled Aleks to kiss back. He pretended he couldn't feel himself blushing. 

James pretended he didn't notice.


	2. Battling Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perspective swap boys. 
> 
> Somebody gets triggered, somebody wins $50, and somebody has some coffee.

"This is a shitty idea." 

James laughed at the latest text he received and responded, "Aleksandr chill the fuck out."

It'd been about two hours since James had gotten home. They'd stopped at the Cow House to pick up their dogs, and both avoided conversation with Trevor, silently agreeing they'd explain it to him later. 

"I'm chill. I just think its a shitty idea." James didn't reply to that. Instead, he decided to put this shitty plan into action. 

The plan was to tweet out "Me and Aleks are engaged" and see what happens. 

Of course, the responses instantly assumed it was a joke. He considered following it up with "No, I'm not joking" but instead opted to just let that tweet marinate and give more context later. Maybe even make a coming out video. As he pondered this, he received another text from Aleks. 

"Shit man." 

He laughed and texted back "It's not so bad." 

"They think you're joking." 

"You wanna confirm it or just let this play out?" 

"I ain't confirming shit." 

"Were just getting the viewers on our side. Why are you so fucking freaked about this? We're not really gay, it's not like it matters what they think." 

That shut him up. 

But the silence didn't last long before James' phone was blowing up with friends asking if he was serious. Aleks was probably getting the same shit right now, which can't be helping how upset he seems to be. James didn't respond to any of them, because if he did he'd have to explain the same shit to every single one. But James had received one text that decided to forego the questioning and just accept that they were gay. 

"Congrats man. Figured it was a matter of time ;)" 

"Joe what the fuck?" 

"You guys are terrible liars." 

James would have loved to point out the irony there, but could think of a few reasons why that would be fucking stupid. He basically had to convince everybody that this marriage was legit, that he and Aleks were totally gay. So he decided to play along with him. "Really?" 

"Yeah dude. You spend all your time together. And even when you're with other people you cling to each other and make heart eyes the whole time." 

Heart eyes? Fucking heart eyes. Sure, he and Aleks hung out a lot. That's what friends fucking do. But heart eyes? When the fuck were they doing that? That had to be bullshit... Maybe they made a lot of eye contact, but that's basic fucking communication via facial expressions. Totally not a gay thing to do. He went on this mental tangent so long Joe had decided to send a follow up text. 

"Me and Aron bet on when you'd come out. He owes me fifty bucks." 

There was no way this wasn't bullshit. Sure, James wanted people to think he was gay. He basically needed them to. But he couldn't get his mind around the fact that people apparently already did. He loved Aleks as a friend. A friend he was willing to get married to, but not because they're fucking gay. James had successfully landed himself in a situation where he had to convince the world he was gay while trying to convince himself he wasn't. 

...Shit, maybe he was. If he was so eager to go into this, if he kissed Aleks without thinking twice... But fuck that train of thought right in the caboose. James decided he just wasn't gonna think of that. He also decided he was done talking to Joe, and fuck him for making him worry about this. 

He almost put down his phone to chill the fuck out, but then it rang. A call from none other than Aleksandr. James picked up on the first ring. "Hey." 

"Hey James. Can we talk?" 

"The fuck are we doing right now?" 

"I mean in person." His voice cracked. Clearly, Aleksandr was at least a little upset 

Shit. James' mind instantly jumped to the worst case scenario. Maybe Aleks was wimping out of the marriage. Even when you're not really gay, it'd suck for your fiancé to call off an engagement. Especially if that meant fucking legal action against the both of you. 

But James agreed to meet him at a twenty four hour diner halfway between their houses. He wished Aleks would have just told him what he had to say over the phone. It would have spared him a pretty stressed out car ride. But as with all things they did, it had to happen the stupidest way possible. So he walked into the almost empty diner and saw Aleks sitting in a booth as far from the other patrons as possible, with a half empty cup of coffee. 

"So what's up?" He asked as he sat down. He made a point of keeping his tone casual. James didn't wanna sound half as nervous as he really was. 

"Promise you're not gonna flip the fuck out at me." 

At this point, James was certain Aleks was about to cancel their plans. Maybe he didn't want to risk the consequences of fraud, or maybe being perceived as gay was that big a deal for him. But there was no way in hell James was gonna let that happen, so he was quick to expostulate. "If you're wimping out--" 

"I'm not fucking wimping out." Aleks abruptly cut him off. "Probably the opposite actually." 

Now James was just confused. After a few seconds of him not getting it, Aleks continued. "I think I like you, James." 

"Well I'd hope you like me after being friends for all these years." 

"I don't mean it like that." 

And then it clicked. Aleks was looking down at his coffee like it was suddenly the most interesting thing he'd ever gazed upon, while James wrapped his mind around processing what just got said. 

"Seriously?" 

"Yeah. Seriously." 

"Since when?" 

"I don't know man." 

This successfully added to the mess of emotions he'd just been trying to repress the fuck out of. James just went quiet, trying to sort out exactly what he was feeling in his head. Aleks looked like he was either gonna leave or start crying or some shit. Part of James wanted to just say he liked Aleks too. He loved him. He wanted to keep him safe and make sure he was always okay. He wanted to be with him. James fucking knew how much he cared. He just wanted to say it. He wanted to say what Aleks was hoping to hear. But there was another part of him that forced him to hesitate. As if at any moment Aleks could change his mind on what he'd literally just said. 

Aleksandr seemed to be taking this prolonged silence as a rejection. "Sorry. I shouldn't have told you. This is just gonna make shit weird." 

"No dude. It's okay." James tried to assure him. 

"You look panicked." 

"I'm not. I just..." he trailed off. Trying so hard to make the words happen. Why can't he just get out the three fucking simple words. I love you. Just fucking say it before this conversation goes any further south. 

"I'll get over it." Aleks said. He looked humiliated and defeated, and the deep regret was palpable in his voice. "I just wanted to let you know cuz... I don't know."

James totally knew why. He wanted James to say he liked him back. 

"Dude I'm being such a fucking pussy right now." James muttered. 

"What?" 

He forced himself to make eye contact. "I dunno man. Just with the shit that's going down and with some shit Joe said I'm like really fucking confused." 

"What'd Joe say?" 

"Basically he and Aron have thought we were gay for a while now." 

"Oh?" 

"Yeah..." Every fiber of his being laced with internalized homophobia was screaming for him to shut the fuck up. He'd been so chill earlier today when he could laugh off the kiss. Justify it with "I'm saving your ass" and just stop thinking about it. But now Aleks was forcing him to think about it. And Joe threw that fucking curveball as if it was so damn obvious. Earlier today, it had all been fake. But now in this goddamn diner booth this shit was forced to be real. 

"I think I feel the same way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote part of this on a boat and I'm on a train now. That didn't impact the story in any way. Just a bit of trivia for ya. 
> 
> L'shana tova to my friends celebrating. 
> 
> Thanks for the feedback on chapter one. Quenching my thirst for approval. 
> 
> Also sorry for pouring on the angst this chapter. I promise somebody's gonna be happy next part.


	3. Shall I Stay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aleks reminisces for a bit, then wakes up a sleeping corgi. Some other shit happens too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for pausing so long. Depression is a bitch.

The next week was pretty fucking eventful, and it ended with Aleks in James' bed. 

That is to say James' guest bed, across the hall from James' room. But close enough. 

The guest room was full of hastily packed boxes containing Aleks' shit. He'd just moved out of his own apartment into James' significantly larger one. Living together was the last milestone of their fake-engagement until the fake-wedding. Aleks' own place was kinda shitty, and considering his heartfelt confession was somewhat well received, he had high hopes for moving in with James. But as of right now, they were in separate rooms beds, separate rooms. 

Whatever though. Close enough. 

At this point Aleks was just trying to get some rest. They'd put Cow Chop on hold for the past week while sorting a bunch of shit out, so they were running low on pre recorded footage. That meant they'd be putting in a lot of time over the next few days to make up for it, so he'd need some rest. 

But it was almost two in the morning. Mishka had made herself comfortable at the foot of the memory foam mattress and was out like a light. But her owner was a bit distracted by the overwhelming amount of shit that had taken place lately. 

A day after his fucking awkward confession to James, he'd awoken to a surprise call from his adoptive father. Apparently that tweet had gone viral pretty fucking fast. 

He asked if it was true. Aleks said yeah. He asked when they planned on telling him. Aleks said he didn't know, and he was sorry. Then he hung up and Aleks had no plans on calling him back. 

Later, James told Aleks he got a call just as early from his mom. More than anything she was worried that there'd be backlash online or something. It took him a while to convince her that it wouldn't fuck up his career. In fact, they'd received a spike in views since that half assed coming out tweet. All of a sudden this channel with half a million subscribers was hot gossip. 

So all in all things had been going fine for the two. Then came the interrogations. As promised, the USCIS called in James and Aleks, as well as a few friends to vouch for them. Aleks' residency and James' freedom were suddenly depending on Aron, Joe, and Trevor successfully convincing a government official that the two were in fact homosexuals. 

For the most part, James and Aleks' interviews had been pretty fucking easy. First they had to answer questions about themselves, then about their supposed fiancé. The agent would cross check their answers against each other and see if they were right. But it seemed the two had been friends long enough to know everything about each other that a soon to be married couple would. Childhood nicknames? Easy. James had gone by Jimmy and Aleks went by Sasha for whatever the fuck Russian reason. Pets' names? Ein and Mishka were basically a regular part of Cow Chop. Fears? James is a bitch when it comes to heights, Aleks freaks out when there's shit on his face. A devoted fan could probably answer all of this shit for both of them and cite videos where they found the answers. 

The only curveball came in at the end. "Who takes the dominant roll in intercourse?" 

James' interview had happened first, so it was on Aleks to guess what James would have answered. 

"Really?" 

"It's hardly invasive Aleksandr, considering what is at stake. Your partner answered this quite quickly." The agent was looking down at a clipboard full of James' responses. So far there hadn't been a single question where Aleks had to stop and think. 

He sighed. "Him." 

"You have to restate the question, for the record." 

Aleks glanced at the tape recorder on the cluttered desk. Everything had to be answered in full sentences in case they had to go back through the footage to explicitly prove them right or wrong. 

"What do you want me to say? He's the dominant one. James fucks my ass." 

After that the agent thanked him and dismissed him from the office. James was in the waiting room just outside with a smug grin. Aleks knew he was blushing again. "You said me, right?" 

"Yeah. Really glad the government's gonna have that on record forever." 

"Yeah me too. Let's get the fuck out of here." 

It was a couple of days later that James suggested Aleks should move in as soon as he could, just to make their marriage seem more legit. He didn't take much convincing. His own place was sorta garbage, and considering James said he liked him back he was hoping this could be a step in a real relationship as well as their fake one. 

James' place was pretty nice. Way bigger than one person needed, just as a subtle reminder that he was kinda fucking rich. The dogs were happy to see each other, as usual. It had only taken a day to bring all of his possessions into a guest bedroom and an extra office. And it only took one phone call to each of their land lords for Aleks to officially become a resident of James' apartment. It was a smart idea, just to get it on paper that they lived together as some official proof that they're a thing. All that was really left was to legitimately get married. 

By the time Aleks was done thinking of all that shit, it was three in the morning. It was getting to be sorta obvious that Aleks wasn't gonna be sleeping that night. So he got out of bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping dog, and stepped out of the bedroom. Maybe he'd watch some tv or something, if he wasn't gonna sleep. But as he was walking past the open door of his fiancé's room, he heard "Hey... Aleks." James was sitting in his bed, and sounded just as awake as him. 

"Hey. You can't sleep either?" 

"Yep. The room alright?" 

No, actually. It's not. When James proposed they move in together, Aleks' romantic ass was hoping to be a bit closer. "Yeah, it's great. Soft mattress." 

"Yeah it's memory foam." 

Aleksandr could not give less of a fuck what kind of mattress his dog was currently asleep on. "Cool." He leaned against the doorframe. 

James was wearing a tight fitting tank top that offered a pretty good idea of how fit he'd gotten since he started working out. It was a nice change from the baggy clothes he wore on the regular, and his hair was restrained by neither bun nor beanie, allowed to fluff up in its natural state. Basically, he looked good. Meanwhile Aleks was in a pair of boxers and the tee shirt he'd worn that day. "Yo you could come in. Sit down and talk for a bit, if you want." 

Aleks didn't need to be told twice. He sat beside James, leaning back against the headboard. Ein had gotten cozy in the middle of the mattress, so there was a dog between them. Aside from that, the two were close enough for Aleks' mind to wander. 

"So about uh... us." James started. Aleks was certain this would be about their real relationship, which they really hadn't discussed at all. "Like that marriage we gotta plan. What do you think about doing it at the house?" 

"What?" 

"You know like we could make the backyard look nice. Joe said he could probably be the officiant. We could even make it a video... Get Trevor to be the flower girl or something. And we could invite a bunch of other YouTubers and make it a whole big--" 

"Yeah, whatever."

Aleks cut him off. He didn't fucking care about the details of their fake wedding. He cared about why the hell they weren't sleeping together. He cared about when they'd go on their first date. He cared about how James' stupid beautiful brown eyes shined even in the dark room. 

"Something wrong, Aleksandr?" He could tell James was trying to keep shit casual by using Aleks' full name, which was reserved for when James was jokingly over exaggerating shit. But there was a genuine concern in there too. 

"Yeah. I kinda hate that bed."

"Dude you just said you liked the mattress." Said James, who couldn't take a hint. 

"It's not the mattress dude." 

"Then what is it?" 

"When you said I should move in, I thought..." he trailed off. This was fucking stupid. He should just go back to his dog and that memory foam. 

"You thought what? That we'd be sleeping together?" 

"Yeah." 

"Oh." 

Aleks got up fast enough to startle Ein awake, muttering "Fucking forget it."

"Dude, wait." 

Aleks stopped, halfway to the door and turned to James. 

"Stay." He patted the mattress where Aleks had just been sitting. 

"Really?" 

"Yeah. If you want to, I mean." 

"Well do you want me to?" Aleks was getting such mixed signals from this asshole. 

"Yeah. I do." 

"Then why the fuck didn't you say so when I got here?" 

"I dunno man! I didn't want it to feel forced!"

"What do you mean?" He sat back down next to James. 

"Like... I don't wanna rush any real shit just because we're having a fake marriage. We haven't even had a real kiss yet." 

"Then just kiss me now." 

And he did. And it was as any kiss should be; with no immigration official they were lying to, just the two of them and the annoyed corgi between them. 

Ein got up and fucked off, either capable of understanding what was happening or uncomfortable with being sandwiched between the two. Aleks was grateful to be able to move closer. He laced his fingers in James' thick fluffy hair. It felt so natural to do so, like making out with him was a gut instinct for Aleks. James seemed to feel the same way, given his lack of hesitation to deepen the kiss and pull the Russian into his lap. 

Suddenly there was nothing to say. Aleks was tired. James was probably tired too. Neither had any stupid words left. They just acted. They just held each other, kissed each other, went to sleep holding each other, woke up holding each other a little after noon when James' phone went off. Trevor was wondering why neither of them were at the house yet. James told him that he was coming, and to shut the fuck up. Then he hung up and the two went back to kissing each other. 

So it goes, as if it were meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Belated Merry Christmas to anybody who celebrated. Happy Hanukkah to anybody currently celebrating. Happy Monday to anybody who doesn't celebrate either. 
> 
> Constructive criticism is accepted. We're all trying to get good here.


End file.
